This is a very fun and cute read, I loved the characters and the character development. The story was fun to read and I flew through it.
However this is three stars because I felt like the relationship was very rushed, they fell in love after a week of pretending to be together, if there was more lead up to the wedding with them and we got to see their relationship grow more then I'll believe it more.
I do wish there was more talk about police brutality towards drag queens and queer people especially because James is a police officer and Daniel has a history with police brutality, it was briefly talked about but as the book is so short it didn't go into as much detail as it should have,

This was a really unique story, I loved the incorporation of Drag and Drag culture in to this book, especially with everything that’s happening right now. I feel like the characters were really interesting, and I liked that, as many other reviewers have pointed out, this felt like a very 90s romantic comedy in many ways.

After much pressure James, an in the closet to his family cop, enlists the help of Drag Queen Daniel to be his date as his sister's wedding in a conservative Christian community. And in true RomCom style Daniel/Daniella/Lala saves the day. Several times!

I really enjoyed this. I would have loved to have seen more of the James/Daniel relationship blossom (the drive around town could have been a great starting point!) & The whole drama with Pastor Creepy seemed like an unnecessary side track. But all in all it was funny & heart warming but does have some heavy themes/topics.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

I definitely recommend this book! I loved the tension and banter, the drag performances and attire/culture, and the fact that it’s between Chicago and Missoula (I have lived both places!)

Obviously lgbtqa+ positive but I thoroughly enjoyed drag culture being used to disguise a date to a wedding and how the characters came out with their identity ❤️

FROMAN RELVEIW TO COME
I just reviewed Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey. #DraggedtotheWedding #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

James needs a date for his sister’s wedding, where he’ll be surrounded with conservative family who don’t know he’s gay. Daniel needs some extra money while his theater undergoes renovations and doesn’t mind the chance to practice a new drag persona. And thus, their love deception was born!

Dragged to the Wedding was a memorable and fast paced read. This book jumped right into the dilemma at hand and quickly had me rooting for the main characters. When Daniel, as Daniella, is introduced to James’ family, I knew their ruse was going to be quite the rollercoaster — his mother in particular was, simply put, a lot to handle.

This book has a wonderful ending and has some of my favorite romantic tropes throughout — close proximity, fake dating, a shared bed, plenty of banter, & just a taste of spice! It was an enjoyable read that made me smile.

I read an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, gladly leaving a review to support this author!

Dragged to the Wedding is a cute, sweet read. It has some mechanical clunkiness, but a lot of heart and love in its pages.

James Petika is a gay cop living in Chicago with a problem: he's not out to his family and needs a date for his sister's upcoming wedding. Daniel, aka Lala Traviata, drag queen extraordinaire, needs a gig to cover the closure of the theatre he performs at to cover his grandmother's care. A scheme is hatched and Daniela, girlfriend, is born.

The book starts off fairly stilted, opening on a conversation between James and a friend that just feels forced. Once the basic premise has been established and we get out of Chicago though, the book settles into its rhythm and finds a quick witted, sassy tone. The dynamic between James and Daniel develops quickly, and we get brief glimpses of the conflict between professions - the cop and the drag queen. I wish there was some more deep dives into this conflict because we get some really interesting surface discussions but dont really get to delve any deeper.

There are some interesting B plots that get mostly quickly dealt with and resolved, some somewhat unsatisfyingly, but overall the book is sweet, funny and has a lot of heart.

Condensed Review: Drag queen saves wedding in conservative Montana community, all the while challenging social perceptions of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’. Publication: October 17, 2023.

Summary:

What intimidates a Chicago cop who’s seen it all? His mother.

James Petika loves his family—from a distance. Thousands of miles away from his conservative Montana hometown, James is free to be his authentic (gay) self. But parental pressure to bring an ‘acceptable’ date to follow a perfectly predetermined life path makes James--closeted to his family—feel he cannot attend his sister’s wedding without an ‘acceptable’ (i.e., female) date.

When his original plus one breaks her foot right before the wedding, James is scrambling to find a replacement to pose with him as a perfect hetero couple. Enter Daniel Bonafonte—stage name Daniela ‘Lala’ Traviata. An unparalleled drag queen, Daniel could use the extra cash and agrees to be James’s fake girlfriend.

As wedding problems emerge, Daniela is always there to save the day. The bride’s dress doesn’t fit? No problem, Daniela’s a skilled seamstress. The programs are wrong? We’ll print new ones. The pastor is creepy? …that’s someone else’s area.

Getting to know Daniel, James becomes more and more enchanted, reevaluating his preconceived notions of masculinity and femininity, courage and strength. Can James take inspiration from Lala and find the courage to come out to his parents?

My Thoughts:

I adore drag. For the longest time, I’ve been on the lookout for a drag romance. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I don’t think I even read the blurb, I just saw “drag,” “romance,” – sold. I was so excited to receive this ARC and Dragged to the Wedding delivered a delightful romcom.

The book has a few issues, but bear in mind that it has not yet been published and may yet change. All my critiques relate to the same theme—missing details. For instance, not enough on-page chemistry building between the main characters. It is implied that James and Daniel spend time together off-page getting to know each other, but missing those interactions distances the reader and makes the characters’ desire feel abrupt and insta-lovey. One missed opportunity to show the characters connecting—when Daniel and James first arrive in Montana, James takes Daniel on a drive through the mountains to relax before the chaos sets in. While this could have been a moment for character exposition, the scene is not described, and any developing closeness left to the reader’s imagination. Overall, I never got a sense of sexual tension or personal connection between the characters; their feelings came across as superficial.

I also felt that the very real social issues impacting character dynamics should have been discussed in greater detail. Namely, police violence towards drag artists and toxic theater environments. There are some brief mentions of Lala being targeted and even brutalized by the police. However, considering that one of the main characters is a police officer, I think it would be worthwhile to expand on this more—given the history of violent police bigotry against drag queens, showing the reader why is it important that James is a cop. What motivated him to pursue this career path? What continues to motivate him? As a queer man, how does James feel about his job? Do his feelings about his job change after getting to know Daniel? How does Daniel feel about James’s job? Similarly, Daniel references an abusive theater director from his past and muses that he could tell James so much more about his experience with the director but decides against it because he doesn’t want to burden James. And that’s all the reader gets, too. I would have liked to see this storyline explored more—either to better understand Daniel’s past or empathize with him in the present. Why does Daniel feel like he can’t share his burdens?

However, the novel doesn’t entirely shy away from tough topics. The entire story centers around the intense stress James feels as a queer man who loves his family but knows that they will not accept him. When outed, James has that very challenging conversation with his parents—repeatedly, as his mother tries to push back against this revelation.

Amidst the serious moments, there are lots of entertaining episodes. In particular, I enjoyed watching the characters team up to try to take down the sinister reverend.

Conclusion: 3 stars.

All in all, Dragged to the Wedding is a light-hearted and moving wedding romcom.

Star Criteria
1: Is the book engaging/enjoyable/entertaining? Yes.
2: Is the book creative? Not especially—the fake wedding date trope is very familiar, predictable plot.
3: Does the book offer educational value? Could someone learn something reading this book? Yes.
4: Does the book highlight underrepresented voices? Yes.
5: Does the book challenge existing literary norms and tropes? Is it innovative? No.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Carina Adores, Harlequin, and the author for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

James is returning home to Montana - for his sister's wedding. Though proudly gay, James has yet to tell his family - referencing only girlfriends. His bestie gets him a gorgeous drag queen to play the part - talk about sparks flying.
A great book about family and honesty - the energy and time we spend to please those we are terrified to lose. Very vulnerable, funny and lovely book.

As someone who reads more than their fair share of queer romances, this is one that certainly stood out! Drag isn’t a common theme in romances, so this was great to see. As other reviewers have stated, I definitely gave late 90s/early 00s romcom vibes (something that is more than welcomed in my book!). Overall, quick, well-written romance novel that touches on both light and heavy topics with ease, thanks to the author’s fine writing.

You say drag queen and I’m reading it!

James needs a date to his sisters wedding and fast. Not just any date, he needs a woman to appease his God fearing mother who doesn’t know he’s gay. Enter Daniel, aka Daniella, a Chicago drag queen who can definitely pass as a woman. Once an arrangement is worked out, Daniel and James embark on their journey to Missoula, Montana. Daniel gets the shock of his life when he quickly realizes James’ family may be worse than he says.

Things quickly turn into more than a business relationship when both men realize how attracted they are to the other. They have to navigate those feelings while trying to save his sister’s wedding. Will they act on their true feelings or keep it strictly professional?

I loved Daniel’s outlook on life and drag, but took him to be too intense at times. Not everyone is out to get you. James seemed understanding and willing to learn about things he didn’t have knowledge in and that was refreshing, especially for him being a cop, gay or not. I liked their communication with each other.

This was a cute, quick romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, it did have some flaws.

For someone with a short attention span, I love a fast paced novel, however this was too fast in some parts and I felt like I was missing stuff. In other parts, I felt like the information was being given out much too fast to the point of being overwhelming. Some of the dialogue seemed forced and strange for their ages and I found myself just flat out feeling bored during parts of this. Once I got past all that, this was adorable and touching!

Romance is not a genre that I usually read, but I was very intrigued by the description of this book. This was a cute romp of a known trope - person needs a date to an important event - stranger agrees to be persons date and romance ensues...add in a wedding and a smarmy minister and it was an all around fun read.

This book gave me felling of that
y2k room coms we all grew up watching. Light paced,funny and very heartfelt sometimes. Plus,it's a short read. I would totally recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and quick read. The characters were great for the story. There was a lot going on in the book. Overall, very cute and worth the read.

I really enjoyed this! I felt like it was fun and a quick paced read. I felt like the characters were so well designed for the chaos that ensued. I will say I liked that James’ parents had a harder time warming up to him being gay. I felt like that was more of a true story than if they would’ve immediately accepted him. I did feel like there was WAY too much going on this book as it relates to hijinks and missteps. It felt like the storyline kept trying to one up itself and I felt like I kept getting lost in what the main purpose of the story was. Very cute and very worth the read if you like quick romances!

What an absolute delight of a read! Just the title alone told me I wanted to read this book and it far exceeded my expectations. Under 200 pages so it's a quick read, but so much happens! There's family drama, local intrigue, and through it all a love blooming. James and Daniel are so wonderful together and help the other see how wonderful they really are. The family is a riotous mess run by the most domineering of mothers, but it is so nice to see changes of minds and hearts happen in a traditionally red state. Love love love love love. (For those curious, there is one very good encounter and much kissing)

ARC REVIEW (Thanks NETGALLEY!)

Reading is what? Fundamental!
The library is now open!

What a fun read! I loved Daniel and James! Heavy topics were discussed but also made lighthearted. Daniel was obviously the star of the show! Loved book and look forward to reading more by this author!

I just have to say how much I loved Dragged to the Wedding! Acceptance, of ourselves and of each other, has never been so real or so much fun. Five stars!

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

* Received a copy for review.*
A gay police officer needs a date to his sisters wedding. He told his meddling mom that he was bringing one.
His helpful friend suggests he take a friend who is also a drag queen.
The romance was great but the family dynamics were not.
Enjoyed it.

Stop it right now, I am OBSESSED with Dragged to the Wedding and fully expect it to become my entire personality for the next few months.

I am a sucker for a fake-dating trope. But pair that with the fresh perspective of one participant being a Drag Queen and you've entered a world celebrating queer joy, self-love, and overcoming super tough obstacles.

Andrew Grey managed to weave some of the hardest topics facing the LGBTQIA+ community into this story (police presence and brutality, homophobia, issues within the church) while doing it in a way that supported the story instead of taking away from the central love story of Dragged To The Wedding.

Lala/Daniel/Daniella is simply the most wonderful character, determined to make sure James's sister has the wedding of her dreams. Holly and Margot are adorable sisters and supporting characters, and by the end of the book, I even found myself loving James's parents.